Trooper suffers broken leg in western Iowa collision

A state trooper suffered a broken leg this morning as he was pinned betweeen his squad car and another vehicle on the shoulder of a western Iowa highway.

It happened along Interstate 29, near Missouri Valley. The trooper had helped a stranded motorist get out of her vehicle in the ditch and into his patrol car. A witness to woman’s spin-out and entry into the ditch was parked just in front of the trooper’s squad car.

The trooper took a statement from that driver and as he was walking back to his own squad car another car on the highway spun out of control and hit the back of the patrol vehicle.

Trooper Tom Williams was then pinned between his patrol car and the vehicle parked in front of it. His leg was broken and, according to a statement from the Department of Public Safety, he’ll probably have to have surgery to repair it.

The department’s top officials are reminding Iowans to reduce their speed if they see a squad car on the side of the road.